Charging car for coke ovens

ABSTRACT

A charging car for coke ovens of the type in which coke is conveyed through feed pipes into holes extending through the tops of the ovens, characterized in that the covers can be removed from the holes, coal charged into the ovens and the covers replaced without permitting the escape of dust and smoke into the atmosphere. This is accomplished in accordance with the invention by means of gripping devices which are located in housings connected to the sides of sleeves which surround the feed pipes. These gripping devices are pivotal from vertical positions to horizontal positions to remove or replace charge hole covers which normally cover the charge holes extending through the tops of the ovens.

United States Patent Pries CHARGING CAR FOR COKE OVENS Erich E. W. Pries, Bochum, Germany Dr. C. Otto & Comp. G.m.b.H., Bochum, Germany Filed: Aug. 5, 1970 Appl. No.: 61,167 I Inventor:

Assignee:

Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 27, 1970 Germany ..P 20 09 300.9

US. Cl. ..214/35 R, 202/262, 212/4, 214/18 PH Int. Cl ..F23k 3/00 Field of Search ..214/18 PH, 35 R; 202/262, 263; 212/4 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1953 Padgett ..202/263 4/1961 Randell et a] ..214/18 PH FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 962,288 1948 France ..214/18 PH Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-Jerold M. Forsberg Attorney-Brown, Murray, Flick & Peckham [5 7] ABSTRACT A charging car for coke ovens of the type in which coke is conveyed through feed pipes into holes extending through the tops of the ovens, characterized in that the covers can be removed from the holes, coal charged into the ovens and the covers replaced without permitting the escape of dust and smoke into the atmosphere. This is accomplished in accordance with the invention by means of gripping devices which are located in housings connected to the sides of sleeves which surround the feed pipes. These gripping devices are pivotal from vertical positions to horizontal positions to remove or replace charge hole covers which normally cover the charge holes extending through the tops of the ovens.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PMENTmJum I912 3.672.519

SHEET 10F 2 INVE/V TOR.

ER/CH PIP/ES y A t forneys PATEi-il'EDJux 27 m2 SHEET 2 [1F 2 INVENTOR ER/CH PR/ES WMu Attorneys CHARGING CAR FOR COKE OVENS CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS Copending application Ser. No. 61,166, filed concurrently herewith and assigned to the Assignee of the present application (70416 German Application P 09 017.9).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the usual coke oven, coal to be coked is discharged from a number of hoppers carried on a charging car into a corresponding number of holes or openings in the oven roof, from whence the coal falls down into the heated oven. The charging car travels on rails mounted on the roofs of adjacent ovens such that it can travel from a storage area where coal is charged into the bins carried on the charging car to the desired set of holes or openings in the top of a selected oven.

Usually, the charging car is provided with as many hoppers as there are charging holes in the top of an oven chamber. These charging holes are sealed by covers which rest on metal charging hole frames so as to be gas-tight. The covers, of course, must be removed before charging and replaced after charging. The hoppers on the charging car have outlets which empty into feed pipes; and the lower ends of these feed pipes are surrounded by sleeves which can be lowered to engage the periphery of the charging hole and thus prevent the escape of gases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a means for charging coke ovens with a charging car of the type described above wherein the escape of gases and dust into the atmosphere is prevented. This is accomplished by providing sleeves around the bottoms of the aforesaid feed pipes which are lowered into abutting engagement with the peripheries of the feed pipes, and by providing lifting devices for the charge hole covers which are carried within enclosures communicating with and located at the sides of the sleeves so as not to interfere with the discharge of coal into the oven. Carried within the aforesaid enclosures are pivoted arms carrying gripping devices which are adapted to grip the charging hole covers and elevate them through an arcuate path of travel; whereupon the discharge of coal into the oven is permitted.

At the end of the charging process, sufficient coal is left in the hopper to prevent the discharge of gases into the atmosphere through the hopper itself. At the same time, the charging hole cover is replaced by the aforesaid pivoted arm which is enclosed within the aforesaid enclosure and the sleeve then elevated. In short, removal of the charge hole cover is effected after the sleeve surrounds the periphery of the charging hole and is replaced prior to the time that the sleeve is removed from the periphery of the charging hole, thus preventing the escape of pollutants into the atmosphere.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, and in which:

FIG. I is an elevational view, partly in section, showing a coke oven charging car and its relationship to an individual charging hole in the top of a coke oven and a feed pipe set on the same;

FIG. 2 illustrates, on a larger scale, a vertical section taken substantially along line IIII of FIG. 1 through the feed pipe of the coke charging car; and

FIG. 3 shows, on still a larger scale as a detail from FIG. 1, the lower part of the sleeve carried on the feed pipe, which can be raised and lowered as well as the housing for receiving the raised charging hole cover.

With reference now to the drawings, the roof ofa coke oven is designated by the reference numeral 1 and is provided with a charging hole 3. Each oven chamber has several charging holes 3 which are located one behind the other along the longitudinal width of the oven. In FIG. I, which represents a section in the longitudinal direction of the coke oven battery, only one of the charging holes is shown.

The charging car shown in FIG. 1 is provided with wheeled trucks 25 and 26 which roll on rails 27 laid on the oven roof I. A number of hoppers 39 is carried on the charging car corresponding to the number of charging holes for each oven. These hoppers 39 are provided with an outlet from which the coal is conveyed to a feed pipe 2 by a turntable device more fully described in copending application Ser. No. 61,166, filed concurrently herewith. The feed pipe 2 can be raised or lowered and is provided at its lower edge with an annular flange 10. This flange, when the feed pipe 2 is lowered, rests on a charging hole frame 8 which surrounds the charging hole 3 and is provided with a beveled surface 7 which supports a charging hole cover 5. In FIGS. 1 and 3, the charging hole cover 5 is shown in its position removed from the charging hole 3. In FIG. 3 it is shown covering the charging hole by broken lines and is identified by the reference numeral 50. The position occupied by the flange 10 when the feed pipe 2 is retracted is identified in FIG. 3 by the reference numeral 100.

A wall 38 (FIG. 3) forms with the feed pipe 2 an enclosure 15. Carried within the enclosure 15 is a mechanism comprising two arms 11 and 14 secured to an axle l3 and rotatable as a unit about that axle. The axle extends through the enclosure 15, is connected to the arm 11 within the enclosure, but extends through the side of the enclosure and is connected to arm 14 outside the enclosure. The arm 14, in turn, is connected through linkage 19 to a lever 16 pivotal about a fixed axis 17. The upper end of the lever 16, in turn, is pivotally connected at 21 to the piston rod 22 of a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder 23. With this arrangement, it will be appreciated that when the cylinder 23 is pressurized to retract the piston rod 22 and rotate lever 16 in a clockwise direction about axis 17, the linkage 19 will cause arms 11 and 14 to rotate in a counten clockwise direction, thereby causing a charge hole cover gripping device 4 to move downwardly into the broken-line position indicated by the reference numeral Ila.

The gripping device 4 is preferably an electromagnet; while the charge hole cover 5 is formed from a magnetically permeable material such that the gripping device 4 can be lowered into engagement with the charge hole cover 5, the electromagnet energized and the arm 11 and the gripping device 4 rotated in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 3 to lift the cover 5 off its seat 7.

Carried within the feed pipe 2 is a discharge funnel 6 which is basically in the shape of a cylinder. However, it is flared out wardly at its top and is provided with an annular seal 12 which rides on the inner periphery of the feed pipe 2. In the lowered position, the discharge funnel 6 rests with its lower edge 24 on the beveled surface 7 of the charging hole frame 8.

The discharge funnel 6 is raised or lowered by a mechanism including guide chambers 28 and 29 (FIG. 2) which are located opposite each other on either side of the feed pipe 2. Extending downwardly into the chambers 28 and 29 are rods 30 which are, in turn, engaged by friction drive wheels 31 connected to suitable drive motor means, not shown. In this manner, rotation of the guide wheels 31 in one direction will cause the rods 30 to move upwardly; while rotation of the wheels 31 in the opposite direction will cause the rods 30 to move downwardly. The rods 30, at their lower ends, are connected to arms 32 mounted on the walls of the funnel 6 such that movement of the rods upwardly or downwardly will also cause the funnel 6 to move upwardly or downwardly. The arms 32 slide within slots 33 (FIG. 3) provided in the wall of the feed pipe 2 such that the interior of the feed pipe communicates with the interiors of chambers 28 and 29. These chambers, however, form an airtight seal with the sides of the feed pipe 2 and thus prevent the escape of gases through the slots 33 into the atmosphere. During the discharge of coal into the oven, the coal will be prevented by seal I2 from entering the enclosure 15 or an annular space 9 surrounding the discharge funnel 6.

In the operation of the invention, the charging car is positioned above a charge hole 3; and the feed pipe 2 initially lowered by means, not shown, such that its lower flange 10 rests on the charging hole frame 8. At this time, the discharge funnel 6 is still in its upper position. Then, by actuation of the cylinder 23, the arm 11 is caused to rotate in a counterclockwise direction such that the gripping device 4 engages the charge hole cover 5. The electromagnet is then energized and the cylinder 23 reversed; whereupon the arm 11, gripping device 4 and the charge hole cover 5 are moved to the full-line position shown in FIG. 3 where they are within the enclosure 15. The discharge funnel 6 is then lowered and coal is charged into the oven through the charging hole 3. At the end of the discharge cycle, enough coal is left in the bin feeding into the feed pipe 2 to provide a gas-tight seal which prevents the escape of pollutants into the atmosphere. Discharge funnel 6 is then moved upwardly by rods 30; the arm 11 is moved into its horizontal position to replace the charge hole cover 5; the electromagnet of gripping device 4 is deenergized; and the arm 11 is again moved back to its original position. The feed pipe 2 can now be elevated such that its lower flange is in the dotted-line position 100 shown in FIG. 3 and the charging car moved to another position.

During the time when the charge hole covers 5 are removed and the charging of the coal has begun, waste gases and dust form due to the sudden heating of the charged coal. The exhausting of these so-called charging gases can take place by adjusting a high suction in the ascension pipe which leads to the gas main for the ovens, not shown. In this case, it mustbe remembered that the predominant part of the charging gases reaches the main where the dust component is precipitated and the waste gas is mixed with the remaining distillation gases. However, suction devices for the charging gases can also be placed on the charging car itself. These may comprise, for example, an elbow 34 (FlG. 1) connected at one end to a suction pipe 35 and at its other end to each of the feed pipes 2. One or several such suction pipes 35 direct the waste gases to a blower 36. From here, the gases are discharged to the atmosphere through a filter 37.

Although the invention has been shown in connection with a certain specific embodiment, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in form and arrangement of parts may be made to suit requirements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a charging car for coke ovens or the like of the type in which granular material in a bin carried on the charging car is discharged into a coke oven through a charge hole in the oven roof; the combination of reciprocable feed pipe means for conveying coal from said bin to the charge hole and having a lower end adapted to be positioned in snug abutting relationship with the periphery of said charge hole; an enclosure carried at the side of said feed pipe means and communicating interiorly with said feed pipe means, a gripping element for engaging and elevating a charge hole cover for said charge hole, linkage means carried at least partially within said enclosure at the side of said feed pipe means for causing said gripping element to move through an arcuate path from its retracted position in said enclosure to a position where it engages and grips said charge hole cover positioned on the charge hole, said linkage means also acting to move said gripping element and a charge hole cover gripped thereby through said arcuate path to remove and retract said charge hole cover into the enclosure at the side of said feed pipe means, said enclosure and said linkage means being carried on and reciprocable with said feed pipe means, a discharge funnel reciprocable within said feed pipe means from a position where it is elevated above said enclosure and linkage means to a position where it is lowered to direct coal falling from above through said feed pipe means into said charge hole, said discharge funnel having a length less than that of the feed pipe means, the arrangement being such that the lower end of the feed pipe means can be moved into abutting relationship with the periphery of said charge hole, the charge hole cover removed, and the discharge funnel moved downwardly past said enclosure and linkage means to direct coal into said charge hole while protectinqghthe linkage means from coal dust dust and the like.

2. e combination of claim 1 wherein said linkage means includes an arm pivotally connected at its one end and carrying at its other end said gripping element, and linkages connecting said arm to a prime mover for rotating said arm about its pivotal connection at said one end through said arcuate path.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said gripping element comprises an electromagnet and said charge hole cover is formed from magnetically permeable material.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said charge hole is provided at its upper periphery with a beveled, funnel-shaped surface and wherein the lower end of said discharge funnel abuts said beveled surface when the discharge funnel is in its lowered position.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said'feed pipe means and said discharge funnel are generally circular in configura' tion, the diameter of said discharge funnel being less than that of the feed pipe means throughout the major length of the discharge funnel, and the upper end of said discharge funnel being flared outwardly at its top and provided with an annular seal which rides on the inner periphery of the feed pipe means as the discharge funnel is raised or lowered within the feed pipe means. 

1. In a charging car for coke ovens or the like of the type in which granular material in a bin carried on the charging car is discharged into a coke oven through a charge hole in the oven roof; the combination of reciprocable feed pipe means for conveying coal from said bin to the charge hole and having a lower end adapted to be positioned in snug abutting relationship with the periphery of said charge hole; an enclosure carried at the side of said feed pipe means and communicating interiorly with said feed pipe means, a gripping element for engaging and elevating a charge hole cover for said charge hole, linkage means carried at least partially within said enclosure at the side of said feed pipe means for causing said gripping element to move through an arcuate path from its retracted position in said enclosure to a position where it engages and grips said charge hole cover positioned on the charge hole, said linkage means also acting to move said gripping element and a charge hole cover gripped thereby through said arcuate path to remove and retract said charge hole cover into the enclosure at the side of said feed pipe means, said enclosure and said linkage means being carried on and reciprocable with said feed pipe means, a discharge funnel reciprocable within said feed pipe means from a position where it is elevated above said enclosure and linkage means to a position where it is lowered to direct coal falling from above through said feed pipe means into said charge hole, said discharge funnel having a length less than that of the feed pipe means, the arrangement being such that the lower end of the feed pipe means can be moved into abutting relationship with the periphery of said charge hole, the charge hole cover removed, and the discharge funnel moved downwardly past said enclosure and linkage means to direct coal into said charge hole while protecting the linkage means from coal dust dust and the like.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said linkage means includes an arm pivotally connected at its one end and carrying at its other end said gripping element, and linkages connecting said arm to a prime mover for rotating said arm about its pivotal connection at said one end through said arcuate path.
 3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said gripping element comprises an electromagnet and said charge hole cover is formed from magnetically permeable material.
 4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said charge hole is provided at its upper periphery with a beveled, funnel-shaped surface and wherein the lower end of said discharge funnel abuts said beveled surface when the discharge funnel is in its lowered position.
 5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said feed pipe means and said discharge funnel are generally circular in configuration, the diameter of said discharge funnel being less than that of the feed pipe means throughout the major length of the discharge funnel, and the upper end of said discharge funnel being flared outwardly at its top and provided with an annular seal which rides on the inner periphery of the feed pipe means as the discharge funnel is raised or lowered within the feed pipe means. 